The Crest of Compassion
by fadedtwilight
Summary: continuation of 'The Newest Digidestined' ^_^ Sora finally admits to Jade her feelings for Tai, but can Jade convince Tai to reveal his feelings as well? And perhaps, find happiness for herself along the way…or will the darkness win?
1. all is fair in the name of love, or was ...

#  **The Crest of Compassion**

#  **Part One**

  
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_okay, this fic is a continuation of my other fic 'The Newest Digidestined', if you haven't read it already then i suggest you do, only because it'll help you understand what's going on so far. i renamed this part because these next chapters will *finally* have some much needed romance and mushy stuff for the people who were waiting for it ^_^_   
_anywayz, i've skipped ahead a bit in the story...but i'm sure everyone knows that Angemon defeated Devimon so i thought it'd be fine if i just skipped that part ^_^ anywayz, i know the fic is being written very slowly, but unfortunately i like to take my time with my writing and not to mention school and my part-time job and then my website take up a lot of my time. well, i hope you're all enjoying the fic so far and i'd **really** appreciate **some** kind of feedback on it, thanx ^_~_   
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It's been months since the digidestined defeated Devimon on the island of File. Now they're in search of the crests, or rather Jade is in search of hers. She is the only one who hasn't found her crest, the crest of compassion.   
Stuck in the midst of a seemingly endless forest, the kids and digimon grow restless as they search for an exit from the natural maze.

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The digidestined are resting in a small clearing on a sunny afternoon taking a break from their long trek through the tall trees. Jade is leaning against a tree deep in thought as she watches the digimon munching on berries in the center of the clearing.

_I don't understand,_ Jade thought sadly. _Everyone else has their crests._ She looked around and mentally checked off the other crests.

Tai and Sora were sitting in one corner smiling and laughing. _The crest of courage and the crest of love._

Joe and Izzy were chatting away over something on Izzy's laptop. _The crest of reliability and the crest of knowledge._

Mimi was dozing in the shade peacefully. _The crest of sincerity._

Matt was leaning against a tree opposite of Jade while TK sat beside him talking animatedly to Patamon. _The crest of friendship and the crest of hope._

Jade smiled ruefully, her eyes lingering on the figure sitting across the clearing. _What is it about him?_ Jade wondered silently. _From the first time I saw him during the fight against Devimon...There was just something about him..._

"Jade?" asked a voice tentatively.

Jade was snapped out of her reverie and quickly looked up to locate the owner of the voice. She found herself looking into a pair of all to familiar reddish brown eyes. Sora sat down in front of Jade, almost obscuring her view of Matt, but not quite.

"You looked lonely, so I thought I'd come join you," smiled Sora.

"Thanks, but you didn't have to. I mean you were having fun with _Tai_ weren't you? I wouldn't want to be the reason for interrupting you two," Jade replied sweetly.

"What are you talking about?" asked Sora, starting to turn bright pink.

"Oh, come on, Sora. You know that you can't lie about this sort of thing to me. I know you all to well."

Sora looked down at her hands and smiled softly. "Jade...Why is it that I can never fool you?"

Jade smiled widely. "That's because best friends can read each other's minds. I know what you're thinking even before you think it."

"You think so do you?"

"I know so." Jade winked at the girl across from her.

"Then what am I thinking right now?"

Jade closed her eyes and put on a pensive expression. "You are thinking...about how absolutely hot Tai is and how much you want to-"

"Jade!" Sora exclaimed, her face turning red.

"I was just joking! Clam down," Jade replied laughing.

"You're not very funny ya know," said Sora, trying to supress a smile.

Jade just shrugged, her mind was thinking about something else. She wondered why Sora always tried to deal with everything by herself. _Why doesn't she ever tell me anything unless I bug her about it? I wish she would just tell me so I can help her out. I hate to see her so confused and sad._

"Jade? What **are** you thinking about?" Sora asked searching her friend's face for a hint.

Jade frowned momentarily, trying to think of a way to form a question about what it was that was bothering her. "Sora I want to know something, and I want you to answer me honestly," Jade told her, looking straight into the brown eyes.

"Sure, what's wrong?"

"Why is it that you never seem to want to tell me about anything that's bothering you? You never just come out and tell me. I always have to force you to tell me. Why?"

Sora looked away; taken aback by the question. "I guess its because I don't want to burden you with my problems. You have enough to worry about, you don't need to worry about me as well."

Jade shook her head and took one of Sora's hands, forcing Sora to look at her. "Sora. You're the sweetest most selfless person I know. You care so much about others and not enough about yourself. You should know by now that you can tell me anything and that by not telling me you only make me worry more. Sora, please. Just promise me that you'll let me help you from now on. Please, tell me what's on your mind." Jade smiled at her friend earnestly.

Sora nodded, a little overwhelmed by the heartfelt words. "Okay," she said finally once she had regained her composure, "but only on one condition."

Jade's jaw dropped. "Condition?"

"Yes. That you do the same for me. Fair is fair." Sora smiled widely.

Jade gave her friend a side-long glance. "You're more perceptive than I remember you being."

"Is it a deal?"

"Deal." Jade smiled. She was relieved that everything was settled. Now maybe she wouldn't worry so much.

"So, now that we've made this little deal of ours, why don't we put it into effect, starting now?" Sora asked.

"Fine, but you go first," replied Jade.

"Okay...I guess what you want to know is how I really feel about Tai, right?"

"No, I already know how you feel, I just want to hear you admit it, not only to me but to yourself."

Sora nodded slightly and then looked up at Jade's clear green eyes, smiling despite herself. She spoke softly, "I do like him. I care about him a great deal..."

Jade nodded knowingly. "He means a lot to you and you worry about him, but he's a big boy, Sora. He can take care of himself."

Sora looked down again. "I know that but you can't blame me for worrying about him."

"True," Jade said, studying Sora's face closely. "But that's not the only thing bothering you, is it?"

Sora looked into the keen green eyes, a hint of surprise apparent in her expression. "Yeah...There is something else..." Sora paused, gathering her thoughts. "Well...I like him, but I don't know if he-" Sora stopped, stumbling on her words.

"If he likes you," Jade finished for her. "I understand what you mean."

Sora nodded. "I want to tell him, but I'm afraid....What if he only likes me as a friend? I don't want to ruin our friendship..."

"Of course, that's reasonable..." Jade trailed off, her mind already formulating a plan. _I've got to help her. I'm almost positive Tai likes her, but how can I prove it to her? Hmmm....maybe its time to have a little chat with Tai... _A mischievous smile crept onto Jade's face.

"What are you planning?" Sora narrowed her eyes.

"Planning? I was just thinking about something." Jade winked.

"Oh really? Was it something or maybe someone?" Sora smiled slyly.

Jade blinked. "What do you mean?" _How could she have guessed? _Jade cursed silently. But what Sora said next caught her completely off guard.

"You don't have to play dumb with me, Jade. I saw who you were staring at when I walked up. I believe its **your **turn to tell me something now." Sora smiled as Jade blushed and tried to hide behind her long black hair.

Jade started to shake her head and deny it, but then remembered her promise. Jade sighed in defeat. She glanced up past Sora, towards the shady figure leaning back against the tall tree. He had his hands behind his head and he was staring off into space, seemingly deep in thought. Jade's expression softened slightly, her gaze turning wistful as she realized what would probably never be.

Sora watched her friend closely and sighed quietly, shaking her head. _Oh Jade, you're just as hopeless as I am,_ Sora thought to herself half smiling. "So it looks like we both have the same problem, wouldn't you agree?"

Jade looked at her friend doubtfully. "How do you figure?"

"Well, we're both too shy to tell the guys we like how we really feel about them," said Sora simply.

"I guess that's true, but really, Sora, I think its obvious that Tai likes you."

Sora shook her head vigorously. "No way. I'm not that lucky."

"You're luckier than you think," muttered Jade under her breath. "Anyway, the truth is that even if I **did **like Matt, its hopeless. He could never like me..." Jade trailed off feeling sadness wash over her. _He could never like me,_ she repeated to herself.

"But if you don't even give it a chance you'll never know. Really, Jade, sometimes you're even worse than me." Sora laughed.

Jade couldn't help but smile. Sora did have a point, but Jade just couldn't seem to rid herself of the doubt that plagued her mind. She didn't understand why she was so attracted to the boy with the pensive blue eyes, but she did know that he didn't like her. Okay, she didn't know for sure, but she had pretty much convinced her mind that there wasn't any hope. It was just that he seemed so lonely...he was always a little bit apart from the rest of the group, seemingly on his own. Not really giving the anyone a real chance to get close to him. _So alone..._Jade thought to herself. _I wish..._ Jade glanced up at Matt quickly, only to find the spiky blond head was turned in her direction. She looked straight into the deep blue eyes briefly and then turned away, blushing like mad.

Sora looked at her friend confused. _What's going on?_ Sora asked silently, looking around at the others to see what might have happened. It was then that she noticed Matt. He was looking down at the ground, his cheeks turning crimson. Sora looked back at Jade and saw that she was doing the same thing. She glanced back and forth between the two and made the connection. A grin spread across Sora's face and she couldn't help but giggle.

Jade immediately looked up at Sora at the sound and groaned inwardly. _So she saw that did she? I guess now I'll never hear the end of it._

When Sora's giggling finally subsided, she noticed Jade watching her and burst out laughing even harder. Jade felt a smile tugging on the corners of her mouth and hit Sora playfully on the arm, trying to hide it. Soon the two were in the midst of a shoving match that was marred by the fact that they were both laughing uncontrollably.

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Matt sat back against the tree trunk and half listened to his little brother's conversation with Patamon. He, like everyone else, was tired after the long hike and was content to just relax and rest. But his head was a different story. He couldn't seem to make his mind shut down. He closed his eyes and willed himself to sleep, but soon discovered the impossibility of the task and sighed. He let himself be swept away by his persistent thoughts. He opened his eyes and found himself gazing at a sweet faced girl with gleaming green eyes and long, sweeping, black hair. He studied her with watchful eyes and tried to commit her face forever to his memory. Then he noticed Jade moving her head in his direction and he quickly turned his face to look at the sky and prayed that she didn't catch him staring at her. After a few minutes Matt snuck a glance at her and almost sighed in relief when he discovered she had resumed her conversation with Sora.

_That was close,_ Matt thought to himself. _I guess I should probably be more careful._ He shook his head. He had to stop thinking about her. There were more important things that he needed to think about, like TK. They had been stuck in this world for months now. Sometimes Matt wondered if he'd ever see his home again. But he couldn't let TK know that was how he felt. He had to be strong for his younger brother. So really, he didn't have anyone to confide in, except for Gabumon, but it just wasn't the same as an actual person. He knew that there was the rest of the group, but Matt didn't think they'd understand, or really even care. Sure it seemed cold, but as far as he was concerned, it was probably true. _I have no reason to get close to any of them,_ thought Matt bitterly. His eyes wandered over to where Jade was sitting. _None..._ He repeated to himself, trying to keep his firm resolve. But it was already to late. Staring at her bright smiling face, he could feel his heart begin to melt.

"Why?" Matt whispered softly, his eyes transfixed on the girl across from him. "Why you?" At that moment, Jade lifted her chin and looked right at him. Matt held his breath as he stared into the emerald green eyes. After two or three seconds Matt tore his gaze away and stared at the ground, furious with himself. _Stupid!_ Matt cursed silently, feeling the heat rising in his cheeks. _What was I thinking? Now she probably thinks I've got some obsessive crush or something. Just great, I'll be lucky if she'll ever want to talk to me again, _Matt thought irrationally. Some shouting and laughing from across the clearing broke through his thoughts. Matt quickly glanced around and stopped when he realized the source of the commotion.

Jade and Sora were shouting and pushing each other which wasn't quite working because they were both falling over with laughter.

Matt watched them half smiling, almost envious of them. That they had each other to talk to, laugh with, joke with, and confide in. Friends, they were nice to have...It was something Matt had just begun to realize.

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Sora and Jade lied on the cool grass and tried to catch their breath. Jade was feeling a lot better, not as tense or sad as she was before. In fact, she was feeling almost giddy and daring. _Hmm...now is the perfect time to talk with Tai,_ Jade thought to herself. She quickly looked over at Sora and saw that she still had her eyes closed. Jade quietly got up and crept away until she was out of earshot. She scanned the grassy area until her eyes landed on a familiar messy haired boy. She smiled and walked over to him.

Tai was standing behind Joe and Izzy, looking at the computer scratching his head. Jade walked up and stood beside him, leaning in to get a better look at what the boys were doing. Izzy was trying to analyze the digivices again. Jade shrugged and turned to Tai. "Hey, you busy?"

Tai looked over at her and shook his head. "Nope. What's up?"

"Oh, nothing. I was just wondering if you had a minute?" Jade asked smiling.

"Sure." Tai replied cheerfully. He was really bored and talking to Jade would be a welcome distraction.

"Umm...Do you wanna take a walk?" Jade pointed at the woods behind her.

"Okay." Tai turned back to Joe and Izzy. "Jade and I are going for a little hike in the woods. We'll be back in a bit," Tai told them. The two just nodded, completely engrossed in what they were doing. Tai sighed and Jade smirked at him.

"Let's go," she told him and grabbed his arm, dragging him into the woods.

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The woods smelled of fresh green leaves and were reasonably quiet. The tall trees loomed over the two as they walked in silence. Finally Tai spoke, "So, what's on your mind?"

Jade glanced over at him, a little flustered. She had planned this far, but now she had no clue how to start. _Me and my brilliant ideas. _ Jade shook her head. She had never really talked to Tai before. Sure she had talked to him in group discussions and stuff, but never one on one. It felt kinda odd. Jade knew about Tai well enough, how couldn't she after all Sora said about him? _Oh, how do I get myself into these messes?_

"Jade?" Tai called.

"Yeah?"

"Well? I thought you wanted to tell me about something?"

"Umm..." Jade was floundering. "Not really. I just wanted to talk, ya know, get to know each other a bit better. I mean, we've never really had a chance to say much to each other and now is as good a time as any, right?"

Tai gave her a side-long glance and shrugged. What she was saying was true, but still, he had an odd feeling that she had ulterior motives. Tai shook off the absurd thought. She was just trying to be friendly. _Besides, she's one of Sora's best friends. Maybe she could help me talk to Sora..._ Tai shook his head. _Did I just think that? Okay, just concentrate on something else...Ask Jade a question!_ Tai thought desperately. "So, how long have you and Sora known each other?"

Jade smiled. "I've known Sora since we were little. Our families were friends. We'd see each other a lot when we were younger and play together. As we got older we tried to keep in touch as much as possible. We'd talk on the phone a lot and during the summer we had sleepovers. She's a great person and friend." Jade looked at Tai out of the corner of her eye and saw that he had an almost dreamy look on his face and his eyes were glazed over, like his mind was somewhere else. Suddenly it hit her, she knew how she could get Tai to admit his feelings! Jade grinned, _This is going to be too easy._

Jade's next words were spoken softly and sounded almost like suggestions. "Sora's really wonderful, don't you think so?" She was watching Tai to see his reaction. He just nodded, the dopey smile still on his face.

"She's so smart and kind-hearted," Jade continued.   
Tai nodded again.   
"So gentle and understanding."   
Nod.   
"Her crest really suits her."   
Nod.   
"Not to mention she's beautiful."   
Nod.   
"And you like her, don't you?!"

Tai was still nodding. Then the realization of what was actually said hit him. He was so startled that he walked right into a tree.

"Oh my gosh!" Jade cried. "Are you okay?"

Tai was covering his face with his hands. "Yeah, I'll be fine," Tai replied, starting to get up. Jade helped him.

"So, you do like her, right?" Tai stumbled and fell again. Jade stifled her laughter. "I'll take that as a yes."

Tai looked up at the black haired girl bewildered. "But-but-"

"Tai, look," Jade started, crouching down so she could look him in the eyes. "I know you like Sora, there's really no point in denying it. But if you're worried that I'll tell her, then don't. I won't say anything to anyone. It'll be our little secret." Jade smiled slyly. "Of course, that is only if you act on your feelings."

Tai sighed. He knew there had to be a catch. _Now what do I do?_ A hand on his shoulder interrupted his thoughts. He looked into the clear green eyes and smiled. He could feel the compassion emanating from them.

"Tai, you have the crest of courage. Just believe in yourself and you can do anything." Jade grinned. "Besides, a little birdy told me that there's a **very** good chance that Sora feels the same way." She winked at the speechless boy and helped him up. Tai just stared at Jade open-mouthed. The girl chuckled and started to walk back towards camp.

Tai finally snapped out of his trance and scrambled to catch up. His mind was racing. Could what she said be the truth? It was almost to good to be true. But when Tai thought about it, Jade didn't really have a reason to lie to him. She seemed like a nice enough person. But Tai was still doubtful. It was like hoping against hope. He caught up to the black haired girl and placed a tentative hand on her shoulder. Jade spun around to face him, her eyes were patient and her mouth smiling. She took his hands in hers and spoke softly.

"Tai. I know you don't know me all that well and I'm sure you're having trouble trying to accept what I've said as the truth. But all you have to do is look into my eyes. Am I lying?"

Tai was confused, his mind was still in turmoil. He stared deep into the clear emerald eyes. They had an unusual effect on him. Suddenly he felt relaxed and he could think clearly again. He could see Jade's emotions. He understood how much she cared about Sora and how she would never want to see her hurt. It was then that Tai knew that Jade hadn't lied to him at all. Tai shook his head slowly.

Jade smiled. "Okay, I guess we should be getting back now. It's going to be dark soon. Race ya there!" Jade took off towards camp laughing.

"Hey! No fair! You got a head start." Tai grinned as he ran after her.

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"Sora? Wake up!" said a familiar voice.

Sora rolled onto her side and opened her eyes slowly. "Huh?" Biyomon was leaning over her watching her with curious blue eyes. "What's going on?" she asked groggily. The last thing she remembered was talking to Jade and then their shoving match. Sora rubbed her eyes. _I must have dozed off._ She looked around and noticed that Jade was no where in sight. _Wait a second...Neither is Tai! This can't be good,_ Sora thought. "Hey, Biyo. Have you seen Tai or Jade recently?"

Biyomon looked thoughtfully at the ground for a second before answering. "I think I remember seeing them leave for the woods half an hour ago."

_Oh no!_ Sora's heart was pounding. _ I bet she's probably telling him that I'm madly in love with him! What am I going to do?! Don't panic, don't panic..._

Biyomon watched her friend closely. She could sense that something was wrong. "Sora? Are you okay?"

The brunette frowned. Should she tell her digimon pal what was bothering her? _Why not? It couldn't do any harm, right?_ "Biyo, I want to tell you something but you have to promise not to tell anyone else. It'll be our secret."

Biyomon nodded solemnly. "Okay, a secret." She sat in front of Sora and waited for her to continue.

Sora took a deep breath and looked down at her gloves. "Well, you see," Sora started, fiddling with her gloves. "I like Tai and I don't know if he likes me, so I can't tell him. I told Jade the same thing a little while ago and now she's off with Tai and I'm worried that she's probably telling him about my crush on him. I'm just really anxious and I want her to come back so I can find out what she's told him."

"How do you know that she has told him anything at all?"

Sora thought about that for a moment before answering. "I can't say for sure, but I know Jade and it's not like her to **not** do anything about this sort of thing. It's just a feeling I have."

"Oh," Biyomon nodded. "Well, I think you should trust her. I mean if she is your good friend then she wouldn't do anything to embarrass or hurt you, right?"

Sora smiled. "Right." She leaned forward and hugged her digimon. "Thanks, Biyo. That helped."

Biyomon wrapped her wings around Sora and smiled brightly. "Glad I could make you feel better."

"So," Sora said sitting back. "I think I should do the same thing for Jade." Sora was looking at Matt, a mischievous smile on her face. "After all, fair is fair."

Biyomon followed Sora's gaze and nodded in understanding. "So, you're going to tell Matt that Jade likes him?"

Sora sweatdropped. "Not in so many words, but basically, yeah."

"Good luck," replied Biyomon, getting up to join the other digimon.

Sora nodded and plotted her next move. _Hmm...What can I say?_ Sora frowned and rested her chin on her knees. _I can't just go over there and tell him right out..._ She looked over to where Matt was sitting. _I've got it!_ Sora got up and started to walk towards the unsuspecting blonde. When she was just a few steps away from him, something cam flying from the side and knocked her flat on the ground. _What in the world?!_   
  
  
  


**To be Continued...**

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**so, starting to get a little interesting?? i hope so ^_^ in part 2, tai makes another little confession...to who? you'll have to wait to find out, but there'll be a lot more mushy stuff ^_~**


	2. what goes around

#  **The Crest of Compassion**

#  **Part Two**

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_well, i finished another part ^_^ and it's mushier just like i promised, but i don't want to give anything away ^_^ as always, feedback is a welcome thing, as long as it's not too harsh ^^()_   
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Jade burst into the clearing and stopped, leaning over to rest her hands above her knees and catch her breath. Tai came running up behind her a second later and did the same thing. Jade looked over at him grinning.

"I beat you!" she taunted.

"Yeah, but you cheated," replied Tai breathlessly.

"You're just a sore loser." Jade stuck her tongue out at him, causing them both to laugh. Jade straightened up and took a look around the clearing. TK was playing with the digimon, Mimi was talking with Joe, Izzy was still fiddling with his laptop, Matt was looking moodily at the sky, and Sora was talking to Biyomon. "Tai, maybe you should talk to Sora now," Jade whispered.

Tai shook his head. "It looks like she's already going to talk to someone else." He frowned.

"Huh?" Jade was confused. _What is he talking about?_ Jade thought as she looked back over at Sora. Jade gasped at what she saw. Sora was walking towards Matt. "No!" Jade cried, running towards her. _She's going to tell him that I like him! I've got to stop her!_ Jade thought desperately. Now Sora was just within range. Jade leaped and tackled Sora from the side and they both went crashing into the ground.

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Sora fell on her shoulder hard, but the grass cushioned the worst of it. _What the heck is going on?!_ Sora wondered looking over at her assailant. She was surprised to see Jade lying beside her, eyes closed.

Jade groaned as she propped herself up on her elbows. Her whole body felt sore. She opened her eyes to find Sora staring at her.

"What was that for?" Sora was rubbing her shoulder gingerly.

"Sorry, I didn't mean for you to get hurt. I just couldn't let you-" Jade paused to look around them. The whole group had gathered around them to find out what was going on, and most of them were laughing. Jade blushed in embarrassment and lowered her voice. "I couldn't let you tell him."

"But you just did it to me," Sora replied, whispering furiously.

"I know, but that was for your own good."

"How do you figure that?!" Now Sora was starting to turn red.

"Just trust me on this one."

"Oh, you're so stubborn," Sora muttered under her breath.

Jade just grinned and stood up, brushing off her jean shorts. She helped Sora up and then turned to face the rest of the group. "So, have we decided what we're going to do yet? It'll be dark in a few hours or so," she asked breaking the silence.

Everyone looked at Tai, only to find he was daydreaming. The group sweatdropped. Finally Joe spoke up.

"I think it would be best if we stayed here for the night. We've been searching for a way out of this forest for a couple of days and we're all tired."

Matt nodded. "He's right. It wouldn't make any sense to head out now when it's getting dark. We might as well get a good nights rest and start out first thing in the morning."

"Okay, it's settled then." Tai grinned. "Anybody want to help catch fish for dinner? There's a river nearby."

"Sure, Gomamon and I can do that," Joe volunteered.

"Yeah and I'll come along with Gabumon to help out," Matt said.

"And why don't Tai and Sora go collect firewood?" Jade suggested looking at Tai meaningfully.

"Uh, sure," replied Tai after seeing Jade's signal.

"Well, Izzy, TK, and I can stay here and keep an eye on the camp and start the fire," Mimi offered.

"Sounds great," Tai smiled. "What about you, Jade?"

"Oh," Jade glanced down at Catramon quickly. "Well, Catramon and I can scout the area and make sure there aren't any weird digimon hanging around."

"Okay, if everyone knows what they're supposed to be doing then lets get going." Tai smiled as he watched everyone go off into their respective groups. He turned to Sora only to find Jade whispering in her ear. Then Jade grabbed Sora's wrist and dragged the blushing girl over to where Tai was standing.

"You two kids have fun now," Jade teased giggling.

"Jade!" Sora exclaimed.

The green-eyed girl just laughed and took off into the forest, Catramon not far behind her.

Sora looked back at the messy haired boy and smiled nervously. "We should probably get going," she suggested, walking briskly towards the trees.

"Uh, sure," Tai said hurrying after the brunette.

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Jade ran into the woods and stopped once she was sure Sora and Tai couldn't see her. She turned to Catramon who was peering at her curiously. "Catramon, I want you to do something for me."

"What is it?" Catramon asked, her wide green eyes serene.

"I want you to follow Tai and Sora." Jade had a big grin on her face.

Catramon's eyes widened. "But why?"

"Tai and Sora both like each other, that's why I set them up like this, but I want to know exactly what happens while they're out there. I know I could just wait until Sora told me, but that's not as much fun." Jade smiled evilly. "You'll do this for me, won't you?"

Catramon eyed her companion wearily, but then shrugged her shoulders. "If that's what you really want me to do. But are you sure you'll be all right out here by yourself? After all, we are supposed to be looking for evil digimon."

"Thanks for the concern, but don't worry about me." Jade grinned as she spotted Tai and Sora walking through the trees. "Look, there they are."

Catramon nodded and ran off quietly, following the two figures with the ease and grace of a stalking panther.

Jade smiled a secret smile. "Good luck, Tai." she whispered.

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The two lone figures walked in silence through the tall trees. Tai was feeling extremely nervous, he couldn't even **look** at Sora. The air was filled with tension, and he didn't know how to break it. _How did I let myself be talked into this mess?_

Sora had a pit of uneasiness in her stomach, and the prolonged silence wasn't helping any. She felt compelled to say something, anything. So she said the first thing that came to her mind. "What did you and Jade talk about earlier?" As soon as the question had come out of her mouth, Sora instantly regretted it. She had clearly startled Tai with her question and now he looked down at the ground anxiously. "Look, Tai, I understand if you don't want to tell me-" Sora started.

Tai was shaking his head. "It's not that. Actually, I kinda thought Jade would have already told you."

Sora snickered. "Nah. She has to much fun teasing me and keeping me in suspense."

"Yeah, that sounds like Jade all right." Tai smiled, but then frowned a second later when he realized that he still hadn't answered Sora's question. _That's it!_ Tai thought, clenching his fist. _I can't avoid this any longer! It's now or never._ He gathered all his courage and determination and looked straight ahead. "Sora, there's something I want to tell you."

Sora quickly looked over at him. She could see the determination in his eyes and it gave her stomach butterflies. Sora felt so nervous, she didn't know what to say. All she could do was stare at Tai and wait for him to continue.

Tai took a deep breath and tried to steady his pounding heart. "This afternoon Jade and I talked about...you." Tai started to blush. "You see, we just started talking and I was sort of daydreaming and then Jade tricked me into telling her a secret of mine. She's pretty sneaky actually." Tai smiled ruefully at the memory. "Anyway, she promised not to tell you or anyone else...but only on one condition." Tai had stopped walking and was looking down at the ground, frowning.

When Tai had stopped moving, Sora also stopped. She was a few steps away from him just watching him quietly. Her heart was pounding in her chest and her head was spinning after his quick little confession. _Could he be...Could he be saying that-_ Sora cut the thought off abruptly.

Tai was still standing there; head turned down and staring at the ground intently. Sora frowned. _Is he okay?_ Sora stepped tentatively closer to him. "Tai...?" He didn't move at all. Sora was right in front of him now. She peered up into his eyes and saw some turmoil there. Fear, doubt, confusion...Sora saw them all in his eyes. "Tai?" she called again.

Tai's vision finally focused on the figure standing in front of him. He placed his hands gently on her shoulders and leaned in towards her ear. "The condition was for me to tell you my secret," he whispered softly, sending shivers up and down Sora's spine. "At first I didn't think I'd have the courage, but then I looked deep within myself and found the strength I needed. Now I want to tell you my secret." Tai pulled away to look Sora in the eyes. His eyes were crystal clear and Sora felt like they were windows to his very soul.

"Sora...I really like you. I care about you a lot." He searched her warm brown eyes for understanding. "I need to know how you feel so I can..." Tai trailed off when she just continued to stare at him blankly. He turned his face to look at the ground over her shoulder, unable to look her in the eye any longer.

Sora was paralyzed with shock. Had she heard right? Did Tai actually just say that he liked her? Was she dreaming? Suddenly Tai turned his face away, a look of bitter sorrow touching his features. He had taken her silence as a "No." It tore at Sora's heart to see him look that way, especially since she really wanted to jump with joy. Sora reached out a hand to his face.

Tai was startled by the warm gentle hand that touched his cheek. He looked back at Sora to find that she was smiling at him. He stared in disbelief. "Does this-" but he was cut off by a finger resting against his lips.

Sora leaned in to hug him, her lips brushing ever so lightly against his cheek. "I care for you too, Tai Kamiya," she said softly.

Tai's brown eyes widened in surprise. "Really?" he asked, still in shock.

"Yes silly," Sora replied giggling.

The concept finally sunk into Tai's brain and he rejoiced silently. _Woohoo! She likes me!_ he thought joyfully, hugging the object of his affection tightly.

Sora snuggled against Tai's shoulder and sighed contently. They embraced that way for a while, just taking comfort in each other's presence. Finally, Sora pulled away reluctantly.

"We really should be going back. They're probably worried about us by now."

Tai nodded grudgingly. She did have a point, but he had one more thing he wanted to add. "Sora," he called softly, putting his arms around her waist. She lifted her chin quickly and peered into his brown eyes questioningly. Tai brought one hand up to her face and caressed her cheek gently. He watched as Sora's expression softened and she closed her eyes. Tai leaned in and kissed her on the cheek lightly.

Sora opened her eyes slowly, smiling at his bashfulness. She turned her head so that she could see his face, her eyes lingering on his lips. "Tai..."

Tai took the hint and moved closer to Sora, closing his eyes. He brushed his mouth against hers hesitantly, before kissing her awaiting lips. The kiss was soft and shivery, full of unleashed passion. They pulled away sometime later to take in some much needed air. Suddenly they heard a twig snap behind them. Tai was instantly alert, turning towards the direction of the noise and putting himself in front of Sora to protect her.   
  
"Who's there?" Tai shouted.

There was more rustling and the bushes parted to reveal a small creature...

"Catramon?!" Sora exclaimed in surprise. "What are you doing here?"

The golden coloured digimon looked down at the ground guiltily. "Well, you see...I was just looking around and I thought I heard something and I just came to see what it was." Catramon smiled sweetly.

Tai glared at the digimon. "Yeah right. Jade put you up to this, didn't she?"

The digimon sweatdropped and looked around nervously. "Why would you think that?"

Tai opened his mouth to reply but was cut off by an ear piercing scream. "What was that?!"

Catramon and Sora looked at each other, fear in their eyes. "Jade..." Sora whispered.

**To be Continued...**

_***********************************_

**well?? good, bad, anything? i know it's a bit of cliffhanger, but the romance makes up for it, right? ^_^**   
**in the next part jade finds her crest...but is attacked by...something. so, stay tuned ^_~**


	3. can't judge a Jade by her cover

**The Crest of Compassion**

**Part Three**

**By: pikacutie_18**

_***********************************************_ **__**

Disclaimer: i don't own digimon or much else for that matter ^_^  
  
Author's Note: this chapter has been a long time in the making...almost a year actually ^^() but really that is because this is only half of what i'd originally planned to write. i wanted to end the series in this part but it just got too long and i'm actually still writing the very end of it. but in any case i apologize to anyone who actually waited for this fic to end...but fear not, the end is near ^_~   
  
because the last part was such a while ago, let me tell you what's happened so far...  
  
Last time: After a lot of prodding and planning, Tai and Sora admitted their true feelings for each other. Catramon had been sent by Jade to spy on them, leaving Jade to wander the woods by herself. Catramon was caught by the two lovebirds and in the middle of the interrogation of the digimon, an ear piercing scream was heard and thought to be Jade's...  


_*********************************************_

Jade Miyamura pushed away the branches that blocked her path as she made her silent trek through the forest. She stared at the trees ahead of her without really seeing them. She couldn't stop thinking about the boy with the sad blue eyes. 

_ Don't think about him anymore,_ she scolded herself. _It's useless and a waste of energy._ Jade swatted at a branch moodily. The dark-haired girl paused long enough to look up at the sky_. It's late, I should go back. Maybe Catramon is there already with news on Tai and Sora. _Jade smiled at the thought and headed back the way she came. As she turned around, something glinting in the moonlight caught her eye. Jade bent down to examine the shiny object covered in dirt. When she had finished brushing off the dirt, the silver stone began to glow. Jade stood up slowly, her eyes wide with shock. It was floating in front of her face. She watched in amazement as the glowing stone shrunk to the size of a crest and joined the awaiting tag around her neck. 

Jade studied the silver-coloured crest closely. There was a symbol of sorts etched into its surface: three sharp triangles surrounded a circle which contained a square. Inside the square was an upside down heart. _The crest of compassion,_ she thought in awe. 

But Jade's revelation was short lived. She was suddenly aware of the foreboding silence of the woods. An ominous feeling had settled in the air around her. Jade tensed; she knew something was going to happen but wasn't sure what it was. Jade clutched her newly found crest and searched the trees around her for some kind of evidence for what she felt. Jade caught some movement in the corner of her eye and whirled around to face whatever it was. 

The black shadow seized the slight girl by the neck, but not before she managed to let out an ear piercing scream. Jade struggled with the thing, digging her nails into the claws around her throat. It was choking her and Jade couldn't do anything about it. She tried to fight the waves of blackness that threatened to make her lose consciousness but lost the battle. Jade felt herself falling into darkness as her eyes closed and her body went limp. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Jade," Sora whispered. 

Catramon took one last look at Sora and then broke out into a run. Sora started after her but Tai caught her by the arm. 

"What's going on?" 

"That was Jade that screamed. Something's wrong and she needs help…" Sora's expression was one of fear. 

Tai took her hand and nodded, leading her after Catramon. 

They ran through the trees, all the while calling out for their friend. Catramon stopped when she reached the spot she had last seen Jade. They found some footprints and followed them to a little clearing. Catramon was the first to see the unconscious girl crumpled in the grass. 

The digimon rushed to her friend's side and laid her silver-coloured paws on Jade's chest. "Jade?" The digimon gently shook the girl. 

Sora knelt beside the pale girl and noticed the glinting tag around her neck. "She found her crest," Sora whispered. 

Catramon looked at her and then the crest. "But what could have happened to her?" 

"My guess is that she was attacked," Tai said grimly. He had brushed back the hair from her neck to display the angry red scratches around Jade's neck. "And whatever attacked her probably isn't that far off." 

Sora nodded in agreement. "Let's get her outta here." 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Matt sat quietly watching as the other digidestined gathered around the fire and cooked the fish that he and Joe had caught at the lake. Mimi was chatting animatedly to Joe and Izzy about the way she liked her fish prepared. TK was diligently watching his fish to make sure it didn't burn. Matt stared at the surrounding trees anxiously; Jade and Catramon still hadn't returned from their patrol. 

As if on cue, Matt heard rushed footsteps and the bushes parted to reveal Sora and Tai carrying an unconscious Jade with Catramon in the lead. Matt sprang to his feet at the sight of the hurt girl and ran to help them. They lay Jade down on the grass and Sora knelt down beside her, putting the girl's head in her lap. By now everyone had stopped what they were doing and crowded around Jade's prone figure. 

"What happened?" Matt demanded. 

Tai hesitated, glancing at Sora who was stroking Jade's hair, before answering. "We don't know." 

"You don't _know_?" Izzy raised his eyebrows. 

Sora spoke up. "She was supposed to check the area with Catramon, but she sent Catramon," Sora paused, searching for the right words. "Umm…she sent Catramon away to do something check something out, and then she went for a walk. Something attacked her and she screamed. By the time we found her she was unconscious and her attacker no where to be seen." 

"We don't know who or what attacked her," Catramon continued, "how or why. But we do know that she found her crest." 

There was silence as everyone thought about what was said. Finally Sora looked up. "Well, I'll stay here and watch her in case she wakes up. Why don't you all just go finish with dinner?" 

Tai nodded and led everyone towards the fire. He went back to stand behind Sora and laid a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry she'll be okay. She's tough." 

Sora smiled. "Yeah, she is…" Sora watched her friend's pale, emotionless face. "Tai, could you get me some water. I want to clean those scratches." 

"Sure." 

Sora took the dark-haired girl's hand. "Come on, Jade. Wake up…" 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Jade didn't remember how she had ended up in the dark room, all she knew was that she should have been somewhere else. She couldn't see anything, not even the hand she held in front of her face. Jade stood up and tried to feel around for some kind of solid object. 

She didn't find anything, at all. 

She stumbled through the darkness with her arms outstretched for what seemed to be a very long time. Finally the girl just sat on the floor and rested her head in her hands. She willed herself to stay calm. 

_ Okay, gotta think clearly now. Where the hell am I? There aren't any lights or walls, just a floor and blackness. I must be in one heck of a big room._ Jade threw up her arms in frustration. "None of this makes any sense!" 

"Of course it makes sense. You're just thinking too much." 

Jade's head snapped up. "Who's there?" 

"Wouldn't you like to know?" 

Jade scowled. "Show yourself!" 

"That won't be necessary. I can do everything I need from right here." 

"And what would that be?" 

There was a low, throaty chuckle. "Oh, you'll find out soon enough." 

Jade stood up angrily. "And what's that supposed to mean?" 

No answer, only the same strange laughter. 

Jade clenched her fists, squinting into the blackness. It was then that she noticed a faint silver glow in the distance. Jade stared at it puzzled, her anger forgotten. _Why didn't I see that before?_ She broke out into a run, quickly closing the distance between herself and the feeble light. As she got closer, Jade realized that the light was floating in the air above her head. She stopped underneath it and stared at it. Jade gasped as she realized what it was. 

Her tag and crest! 

Jade's hands went immediately to her neck. _But how?_ Jade glared at the air around her. This was the work of that disembodied voice. Before Jade could call out angrily she heard a loud "pop" and an invisible barrier appeared all around her. She banged on the barrier with her fist, and decided she wouldn't be able to break it down that way. 

Jade looked up quickly only to find that a figure was materializing just outside the barrier. Jade's eyes went wide as the figure took shape…took her shape! It looked exactly like her, except for the cold eyes and cruel smile. And what was that dark aura all around her? 

Jade watched apprehensively as the figure walked right up to the barrier. "Who are you?" She tried to make her voice sound confident and not betray the slight fear that she felt. 

Jade took a step back as the girl began talking with her voice. "Who do you think I am?" She laughed. "I'm you now, aren't I?" 

True, the girl did look just like her and even sounded like her. Jade gritted her teeth; she was getting more anxious with every passing moment. "I want my crest back. Now!" 

The girl shook her head and waggled her finger at Jade reprovingly. "You didn't say the magic word." She held out a hand and Jade watched as her tag landed in the other girl's outstretched palm. "Sorry, but I'll be borrowing this for a while. I hope you don't mind." She sneered at Jade before turning her back on her and walking away. 

"Hey!" Jade yelled after her. "Where are you going?" 

"You're friends are expecting you…I wouldn't want to keep them waiting." 

"What?" Jade watched helplessly as the girl began to disappear into the darkness. "Leave them alone!" But she was already gone. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Tai had offered to take the watch for Sora but she had refused. She wanted to stay by Jade and make sure her friend was okay when she woke up. So instead Tai had decided to stay up with her. Well, sort of; now he was sleeping peacefully against her shoulder. He looked so adorably boyish that Sora couldn't help but smile. A soft moan from the figure beside her caught Sora's attention. 

Sora jumped at the unexpected sound, causing Tai's head to slip off her shoulder and hit the ground with a dull thud. Sora cringed and silently promised to take care of the soon-to-be-bump on his forehead later. She turned to look at Jade in time to see the green eyes blink once and then focus on her. "Jade? How do you feel?" 

"I'm fine." The dark-haired girl stood up and brushed herself off. 

Sora stared at her. "You're okay? Don't you remember what happened to you?" When Jade didn't respond, Sora continued. "You were attacked in the middle of the forest!" 

There was something about the eerie, calm green eyes that sent chills up Sora's spine. Jade walked away, leaving Sora to stare after her in disbelief. Suddenly a load groan brought Sora back to her senses. She whirled around to find Tai on his knees with a hand over his head and a pathetic look on his face. Sora would have laughed or at least smiled if she hadn't felt so confused and worried. She felt Tai take her hand and tilt her chin up so he could look into her eyes. Sora averted her gaze from his and instead occupied herself with the bump on his head. 

"What happened, Sora?" Tai glanced around quickly and frowned. "Where's Jade?" 

"She went to see the others I guess," replied Sora, shrugging. 

"But wasn't she hurt? Didn't she tell you what happened to her?" 

Sora shook her head. "She wouldn't speak to me." 

Tai stared at her bewildered. "That's crazy! She really must have hit her head. Maybe she has amnesia." 

Sora smiled briefly. _He always has the most farfetched ideas._ "No, she doesn't have amnesia, but-" Sora's expression darkened. 

"But what?" 

"Nothing. Never mind. We oughta get back anyway." 

"Sora-" Tai started to protest but was quickly cut off by Sora's lips. 

"Come on." Sora took his hand and led him back to camp. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Jade slumped against the invisible walls of her prison and stared into the dull blackness around her. _I wonder if I'll go mad. Why not? There's nothing else better to do,_ she thought bitterly. Jade sunk to the floor, her head in her hands. She just didn't want to think. She knew if she did all she would think about was the strange girl and what she might be doing to her friends. _ Sora, Catramon, everyone...please be okay!_

Jade thought she really had gone mad when she opened her eyes and saw a small white-silver sphere before her. Jade blinked and rubber her eyes, but it was still there. Jade reached out towards the floating globe and touched it hesitantly and recoiled a second after. She stared at the sphere with wide green eyes. _That thing is powerful...like pure energy._ "What is it?" she murmured. 

"You have to hold it to get it to work," said a voice scornfully. 

"So this is your creation?" 

"No," the voice laughed. "That is strictly your creation. It sprung from your need to see your friends." 

"My friends," Jade whispered, involuntarily reaching for the floating orb. 

When she laid both her hands on the orb, it produced a brilliant flash of white light. Jade shook her head in an attempt to clear her vision. She blinked again and then focused on the object before her. The sphere was now flat and shaped like an oval with a mirror-like surface. Jade stared into the depths of it and saw a small image. The more she stared at it, the bigger it became until it finally took up the whole surface. 

All Jade could see were trees shrouded in darkness, at first. Then the trees cleared and she could see sleeping bodies lying on the soft grass. _This must be what's happening right now._ Suddenly a face appeared in the mirror. Her own. 

Jade just stared as she watched herself walk among the still forms before finally stopping infront of one small figure. _What _ is_ that thing that managed to trap me here? It must be a digimon, but what kind of digimon could do this to me?_ The digimon Jade had started to bend down, but stopped when she saw movement to her right. Jade squinted at the approaching shadow and then held her breath as she saw a flash of blonde hair. _No! Not Matt!_ Jade watched in horror as the two figures began speaking in whispers too low for her to hear, and then walked off towards the forest. The small body that digi-Jade had been looking at sprang to its feet and began running on all fours. _Catramon..._ The cat-like digimon ran out of sight. 

Jade hear the crunch of leaves and Tai, led by Sora, emerged from between the trees. They held hands as they stepped into Jade's view, but something was amiss. Sora had a distant look in her eyes and her mouth was turned down in a small frown. Tai kept sneaking worried glances at her, but Sora didn't seem to notice. He opened his mouth to say something, but then seemed to think better of it. As they got closer to the sleeping bodies, Sora seemed to break free of her thoughts long enough to survey the still forms around her. Her eyes widened as she grabbed Tai's arm. 

"Tai, she's not here!" came the frantic whisper. 

"She's not the only one missing. Matt and Catramon are gone as well." Tai put a comforting arm around the distressed girl as she continued to clutch his arm.

"But where? Where could they have gone?"

_She's panicking,_ Jade realized with surprise. _ She never panics so easily. Unless..._

Suddenly Jade's mind was overwhelmed by a vision. A scenario she hadn't seen before, of digi-Jade waking up and treating Sora coldly. _So, she knows something is wrong. She thinks I might be under the spell of a digimon._ Jade nodded grimly. _She doesn't know how right she is._

The dark-haired girl paused, her green eyes pensive. _ But how do I know what she is thinking?__Could she be broadcasting her emotions without realizing it? Even her memories? Maybe in this state i'm able to receive them..._ Jade watched Sora's face closely. 

Jade turned her attention back to Tai and Sora's conversation.

"Maybe they just went for a walk," offered Tai.

Sora shook her head vigorously. "There has to be more to it than just that!"  


Tai turned her around so that she was facing him. "Sora," he said sternly. "What is it that you're not telling me?"

Sora looked down at the ground and sighed softly. "When Jade woke up, she didn't seem to be herself. I tried to get her to tell me what happened-" her voice faltered. Tai squeezed her hand and Sora continued. "But she just ignored me. When she looked at me, I felt as though a cold wind had swept right through me. It was a terrible feeling." Sora shivered at the memory. "She's never just ignored me before. It was as if it wasn't Jade at all. It looked like her, but even then...there was something about her eyes." Sora stared into the distance, her eyes glazing over.

"Okay, so lets say that something did happen to Jade out there. She wouldn't hurt Matt though, right?"

Sora nodded. The real Jade liked Matt, but... "But if it isn't Jade, then it wouldn't matter who she was with."

"Because this person wouldn't have the same emotions for people that the real Jade would."

"That's assuming that this person has emotions at all," Sora frowned.

"Then we better go after them. I'll wake up Agumon, you get Biyomon."

Jade watched as they awoke their digimon then rushed to the forest's edge. Biyomon was sent off to find Matt and Jade while the rest tried to follow the trail through the trees.

Jade's lips set in a grim line as she watched them trek under the trees. She'd never felt so helpless before. For some reason she had an ominous sense of foreboding. _Please let them be okay... _

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Where are we going?" Matt asked, daring to sneak a glance at the girl walking beside him. She was staring straight ahead, her face emotionless.  
  
"You'll see when we get there."  
  
_Ever her voice doesn't give me a hint as to how she's feeling,_ Matt frowned. _Why didn't she answer me when I asked her if she was okay? Why did she want me to come with her?_ Matt shook his head. _ None of this makes any sense. But..._ Matt looked down at the ground. His heart pounded in his chest at the thought of being alone with the girl he liked. _Maybe I could finally say something-_  
  
"We're here." Jade stopped, putting her hands on her hips.  
  
The small clearing looked normal enough. "Where is 'here'?"  
  
"This is where I found my crest."  
  
Matt saw a freshly upturned patch of soil and bent down to examine it. "Right here?"  
  
"Yes I believe that was the spot." Jade cocked her head to the side, a smirk curving her lips. "Matt."  
  
Matt stopped what he was doing but didn't look up at the source of the voice. "Yes?" Matt could feel the heat rising in his cheeks.   
  
"Won't you at least look at me?"  
  
Matt's face turned crimson as he forced himself to look up at the long-haired girl. When Matt's blue eyes met Jade's cold glare, he froze. His mind was wiped of all concious thought and he stared at the girl slack-jawed.   
  
Digi-Jade smiled. "Come here."  
  
Matt stood up and walked over to her clumsily. His blue eyes were now grey and stared ahead blankly.   
  
The girl reached out and touched Matt's cheek, grinning smugly.  
  
"Jade!" A small figure came running towards her as she stepped away from Matt.  
  
Catramon stared up at the girl in front of her, cocking her head slightly to the side. "What are you doing here?"  
  
Digi-Jade hesitated. "I wanted to show Matt where I'd found my crest."  
  
Catramon frowned. "You shouldn't have wandered off without me. I don't want you to get attacked again."  
  
Digi-Jade smiled. "Don't worry, Catramon. I can take care of myself."  
  
"That's what you said last time." Catramon caught a quick glimpse of Matt from behind Jade and frowned again. "What's wrong with him?"  
  
The girl froze. "He's just tired."  
  
Catramon looked at Matt's blank face doubtfully. "Are you sure? He looks kinda pale." The digimon moved to get past Jade, but was blocked. She looked up at her friend surprised. "Jade?"  
  
"You know, Catramon. You're too nosey for your own good." The girl raised her arm. "Hypnotic Shock!"  
  
Catramon stared at Jade wide-eyed, unable to move. The purple electricity crackled over her bristling golden fur. The digimon collapsed, her body shaking.  
  
Digi-Jade shook her head. "I didn't want to do that to you Catramon, but you left me to choice." She looked down at the digimon thoughtfully. "I had hoped you would be my ally willingly." She paused listening to the sounds around her. "They're almost here." A smirk curved her lips. "This will be fun." 

**To be Continued...  
**

_***********************************_   



	4. parting is such bitter sorrow

The Crest of Compassion Part Four By: pikacutie_18

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Disclaimer: i don't own digimon or much else for that matter ^_^   
  
Author's Note: i actually finished this chapter a while ago but just never got around to posting it ^^() the next chapter will most likely be the last, when and if i finish writing it. unfortunately i've lost interest in digimon and this fic, hence the lack of chapters and imense space inbetweeen them. Instead have grown to love a bunch of other even better animes ^_^ i can't just leave this fic unfinished though. so no matter how long it takes me, i'm going to finish it ^_^ thanx to those who've supported me and my website during those days when i just couldn't remember why i did any of it. arigatou minna-san! ^_~  
  
because the last part was such a while ago, let me tell you what's happened so far...  
  
Last time: While she was alone, Jade was caught by something mysterious and trapped. She was forced to watch as the thing frightened Sora and nabbed Matt. But Sora and Tai went after it and now it seems to be cornered....or is it? 

***********************************************

"Biyomon! Do you see anything yet?" 

The flying digimon glided into view. "No. There's no sign of them."

Sora sighed in frustration. "They couldn't have gone that far."

Tai squeezed her arm reassuringly. "They'll turn up."

Sora glanced at him quickly. He walked between the trees easily, his face a mask of determination. Sora smiled despite herself. _ He's so strong-willed_, she thought reflectively.

"Sora!" Biyomon landed in front of her. "I saw a flash of purple light. It came from the spot where we found Jade unconscious."

The news sent an unexpected chill down Sora's spine. The brown-eyed girl hardly felt Tai take her hand and lead her wordlessly towards the familiar spot. She tried to keep her mind free from the inexplicable fear and terror that tried to consume her. Sora stopped just short of the clearing, bringing Tai to a halt with her.

"Tai, stay here. There's no need for both of us to get involved. Besides, Jade is my friend and I know how to deal with her."

Tai just stared at her incredulously. "Are you crazy? I can't let you go in there by yourself! Who knows what you'd be up against." Tai put an arm around her waist. "If something happened to you, I don't know if..."

"Tai-"

"No, Sora. If you're right, then we don't know if this thing is Jade or a digimon. We'll have a better chance of getting through this together."

Sora bit her lip. Okay, so he has a point. But...I have a feeling something is going to happen.

Tai turned to Agumon and Biyomon. "You guys stay hidden. You'll be out secret weapon."

"Tai."

"Yeah?"

"Thank you."

His cheeks turned pink. "No problem." There was a noise from beyond the trees. "Let's go."

As Sora approached the clearing, images of Jade with evil eyes and purple energy crackling in her palms ran through her mind. But the scene that welcomed her was not at all what she expected. Jade was actually _hugging_ Matt.

Sora stopped in mid-stride. Could we have been wrong? Maybe this really is Jade...

Tai was standing beside her uncertainly. "Sora," he whispered. "What's going on?"

Sora started to shake her head and shrug when she noticed something. Matt was standing rigidly, his arms dangling at his sides. _That can't be right._ Sora got a glimpse of his face and gasped. He looks like a zombie! No emotion or anything. Even his eyes are blank.

"Sora?" Tai touched her arm.

"Look at him," was all she could manage.

Tai studied the blonde boy closely and scowled. "What did you do to him?"

The girl turned to Tai and winked. "He couldn't resist my charms."

"Who are you?" Sora demanded.

The green eyes widened in mock surprise. "Sora, don't you recognize your best friend?"

"You're not Jade!"

"Well you're half right." The girl flashed them an evil grin. "Catramon." The small golden digimon appeared from behind Jade to stand beside her. "I think our friends need some help understanding a few things."

Catramon growled and approached the two digidestined slowly.

The bushes rustled and Agumon and Biyomon came bounding out to stand in front of their respective partners.

"Catramon stop! You don't have to do this!" Biyomon pleaded.

"We're friends, there's no need for us to fight!"

The golden digimon stopped only a few paces away from them hesitantly.

Jade glared at the small digimon impatiently. "I said attack them. Now!"

Catramon shook her head as she turned to face her angry master. "No. The only person I take commands from is Jade, and you definitely aren't her."

Digi-Jade scowled in contempt. "Why you little-"

"Enough! Just tell us where Jade is," Sora demanded.

A smug grin returned to digi-Jade's face. "She's very close."

"Tell us now, or the digimon here will get it out of you," Tai threatened.

"I'd like to see them try. Hypnotic Shock!"

The purple energy left her hands and crashed over the three digimon. The digimon collapsed on the ground, wincing as they heard her begin another attack. But the pain never came.

As soon as digi-Jade had begun to raise her hands for another attack, Tai had sprung into action knocking her to the ground. He pushed her on her stomach and grabbed her wrists.

"Tell us where Jade is!" he demanded.

The girl laughed loudly. "You still don't get it," she snickered.

"I've had just about enough of you." Tai raised his fist.

"No, Tai! Wait!" Sora ran over to him. "Don't do it. Tai, look at her. She _is_ Jade."

"What?" Tai stared at the scowling girl incredulously. "How can _she_ be Jade? Jade doesn't have digimon attacks."

"No, but that is Jade's body." Sora shook her head at his protests. "Tai it has to be her. Somehow the digimon that attacked her is controlling her."

The girl laughed again. "Well, what do you know. She _is_ smarter than she looks. Well done, Sora. You figured it out. I am the digimon called Imikosmon. I have the power to form a bond with other living organisms and take them over; trapping them inside their own mind."

"You free Jade right now!" Catramon growled.

"What are you gonna do Catramon? Hit me?" Imikosmon laughed. "I doubt it. You don't want to hurt your friend's body, do you?"

"That's enough out of you," Tai said, shaking her roughly. 

"We should take her back to camp and decide what to do there," said Sora, frowning grimly.

Tai nodded. "You better digivolve, Agumon. I might need your help keeping Imikosmon in line."

"Right. Agumon digivolved to...Greymon!"

"Get up, Imikosmon." Tai yanked her to her feet.

Sora turned away from the scene and noticed Matt crumpled on the ground. "Matt!" Sora rushed to him, kneeling beside his head. Her lithe fingers felt for his pulse and she sighed in relief. "He's okay," she murmured. Suddenly the pale figure groaned.

"My head..." The blue eyes fluttered open. "Sora, where's Jade?" He was instantly alert, looking around him as he sat up.

"Calm down, Matt." Sora laid a hand on his shoulder as she tried to stop him from seeing what Tai might have been doing. Sora winced as the blue eyes narrowed angrily and he jumped to his feet. 

"What's the big idea?" Matt demanded as he glared at Tai menacingly. "Get your hands off of her!" 

"Matt, please!"

"It's not what you think— "

Catramon growled and leapt at the blonde boy, knocking him onto his back. The golden digimon crouched on his chest, keeping her front paws on his shoulders. "That is not Jade. It is a digimon. An evil digimon who had you under its spell. So just cool off and stay out of it!"

Matt just stared at the digimon in disbelief as she stalked off. He felt Sora's hand on his and looked up into her worried face.

"Can you stand?"

The solemn faced boy nodded and stood. He began to walk towards the spot where the others had left but Sora held him back. 

"Are you okay, Matt? I know this must all be a pretty big shock." 

"How can you know how I feel?" He turned on the wide-eyed girl savagely. "You have no idea how I feel! No one does."

"Matt, please. You're upset—"

"Why would I be upset? I've only been controlled by an evil digimon that has taken over the one person—" Matt bit his tongue. _I almost told her. _ Matt glanced at Sora hesitantly. She stood quietly, with her hands clasped beneath her chin and her head down. The boy was immediately filled with remorse. "Sora, I'm sorry."

"It's okay. I understand." She looked up at him and her brown eyes were shining with unshed tears. "I know how you feel because I care about her too."

"But how did you know…"

Sora smiled. "That's not really important. What we need to do is hope that Jade will come out of this okay." Sora turned away from the spiky blonde and looked up at the sky. "Ya know, I owe Jade a lot. She's helped me so much." _Especially with one person_, Sora thought as a smiling boyish face flashed in her mind. _Maybe it's about time I repay that debt_. "Matt, maybe when this is all over you can tell Jade how you feel."

The blue eyes widened in shock. "Are you kidding? I couldn't do that…" A slight blush arose in his cheeks.

Sora frowned and spoke seriously. "Matt, you can't wait forever. Right now Jade is being held captive by a digimon. But who knows what could happen tomorrow or next week." Sora shook her head. "If you wait too long you might never get the chance and then you'd never know what could have been."

Matt didn't speak for a few moments, shuffling his feet along the path back to camp. Sora's words had shaken him and he had begun to think about the possibilities. What if Sora's right? What if I never get the chance to tell her how I feel? If I tell her, then the worst that could happen is that she won't like me back…but if I don't tell her then I'd never know If I even have a chance…

"Matt? I didn't mean to sound too harsh before."

"No. You're right. I have more to lose by not telling her." 

Sora smiled. "Trust me, Matt. You're making the right decision."

"You think so?"

"Definitely." She winked at the blonde boy knowingly, as she stepped into the camp.

"Hey! What took you two so long?" Joe demanded worriedly.

"Yeah, we were worried," Mimi chimed.

"Tai's waiting for you," said Izzy matter-of-factly. 

"Thanks." Sora grabbed Matt's arm and dragged him towards the fire, where Tai sat. "Tai, where's Imikosmon?"

The brown-haired boy jerked a thumb over his shoulder. "It's useless. She just won't talk."

Sora lifted her eyes to the tree behind Tai and winced. Imikosmon had been bound to the tree and gagged. She wasn't struggling with her bonds, but merely regarded Sora coldly.

"Is all that really necessary, Tai?" Sora glanced at Matt uncertainly.

"Sure, Sora. We don't want her to escape."

"You've already tried questioning her?" Matt kept his eyes averted downwards. _I can't bear to see her like this,_ he thought miserably.

"Yeah I asked her questions but she just refused to answer." 

"Well, I already told Izzy what happened and he's supposed to be trying to gather any kind of information he can dig up."

"What about the digimon?" Matt thought aloud.

Tai blinked. "What about them?"

"Has anyone thought to ask them if they've heard about Imikosmon?"

"That's a great idea, Matt! Why don't you go talk to them?" Sora pulled the spiky blonde away from the captive digimon.

"Sora, stop! What's going on?" he demanded, as he yanked his hand from her grip.

"Sorry Matt, but I thought that it would be best if you keep away from Imikosmon for a little while."

"But I feel helpless! I want to do something! I want her to come back."

Sora put a comforting arm around his shoulders. "I understand; I want her back too. But you can help. Go talk to the digimon. Maybe they know something that can help us. I'm going to go see if Izzy has found anything yet."

Matt nodded and reluctantly walked away over to the huddled circle of digimon.

Sora watched him go in silence. _This is all so difficult for everyone. They're all tired and frustrated._ She glanced at the strained faces and sighed quietly.

"Sora, are you okay?" Mimi glanced at her friend in concern.

The auburn-haired girl forced a smile. "I'm fine. So, how's the research coming along? Find anything."

Joe shook his head grimly. "Not anything useful."

"We know that she's an ultimate level virus type digimon. But that's about the extent of it."

"Thanks, Izzy." Sora walked away from the small group listlessly. _An ultimate level, great,_ Sora thought sarcastically.

"Sora!" Matt's face was as solemn as ever as he ran up to catch her. 

"What did the digimon say?" Sora asked hopefully.

"Not much. They said that they've heard of Imikosmon and that she's a remorseless, evil digimon who'll do anything to make sure digimon and anyone else suffer."

"But they don't know how to defeat her?"

Matt shook his head regretfully.

Sora bit his lip. "This is looking worse and worse every minute. Maybe there is no way to defeat her," Sora whispered.

"You can't give up, Sora." Matt watched her resigned face. "But maybe you do need some sleep." 

"I can't sleep."

"Yes you can. Look at yourself, you're exhausted. Everyone is tired." Matt pulled Sora over to where Tai sat. "Tai, take care of her. Make sure she gets some sleep. I'll watch Imikosmon."

Tai looked up at him surprise. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah, I can handle it."

Tai nodded and took Sora's hand. Ignoring her protests he went to tell the others that it was time to get some rest.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Matt watched in silence as everyone, including the digimon, gathered around the fire to sleep. He stared at the orange flames and recalled snatches of his conversation with the digimon

She is pure evil. She doesn't care who she hurts or kills, as long as she gets what she wants...I've never heard of a digimon who survived her bond...She has never been defeated...

"You didn't tell Sora, did you?" a husky voice interrupted Matt's thoughts.

"Catramon. What are you doing?"

The golden digimon shrugged lazily. "I couldn't sleep," she confessed, crouching down beside him. "So, answer the question."

"No, I didn't tell her. How could I?" Matt's expression was dark.

"She deserves to know."

Matt shook his head. "It would hurt her too much. I don't want to be the one to lay waste to all her hopes."

Catramon nodded slowly. "That's true. But she isn't the only one who suffers right now," said the digimon as she watched the fire grimly.

Matt looked at the golden feline in surprise. _She knows how I feel about Jade. So, she understands how I feel, because she is suffering too. _ "I'm sorry, Catramon."

"Don't be. We both want to see her back to normal. We can understand each other," she smiled.

Matt smiled back despite the feeling of guilt rising in his chest. _I can't feel sorry for myself. I'm not the only one upset over this. If Catramon can smile, then so can I._ Matt glanced at the digimon again and stopped. She was sitting perfectly still, her fur standing on end. "What is it?"

"Do you feel it? Dark energy..."

"Dark energy?" Matt froze and his blue eyes widened. "Imikosmon!" He turned around to inspect the captive digimon only to find bare ropes. "She's free."

"I know, but where?"

"We should wake the others."

An eerie laugh pierced the night's stillness. "Don't bother. I've made sure they won't wake up."

Catramon growled menacingly. "Why did you leave only us?"

"Oh, I have other plans for you two."

"Matt. When she finally shows herself, I'm going to knock her out. You grab her from behind and hold her."

"You're going to attack her? Are you sure-"

"It's the only way," Catramon whispered fiercely.

Matt swallowed and nodded determinedly. A black, rolling fog had enveloped everything, leaving Matt and Catramon practically blind. Then Matt saw it; a darker shadow against the fog just in front of him. He nudged the small digimon beside him and nodded at the shadow. Matt lunged at the figure, managing to wrestle it to the ground. The figure let out a strangled cry as Catramon raised her claw menacingly.

"Catramon..." the girl choked out.

The golden digimon faltered and looked at Matt uncertainly.

"Please, it's Jade..." The girl finally looked up at Catramon, her green eyes pleading silently.

"Jade? Is that really you?"

The girl swallowed thickly and nodded. "I don't have very long though. Imikosmon is too strong for me, I can't fight her off on my own. I need your help Catramon."

"What can I do?"

"First you better digivolve."

"Okay. Catramon digivolved to....Panthramon!"

"Panthramon, I want you to attack me with everything you've got."

The jet black digimon's jaw dropped. "That's your plan? Isn't there a better way?"  
  
Jade shook her head regretfully. "No. You have to do this. You're the only one that can save us all."

Panthramon shook her head furiously. "I don't want to! I can't!" 

Jade smiled sadly. "Panthramon, you have no choice. It is the only way and you know it. I'm sorry that you have to go through this, but you're not alone. I'll be with you here," Jade said, placing her hand over the big cat's heart. 

"Jade?" Matt asked hesitantly.

"Yes?"

Matt stared into the serene, emerald eyes and felt his throat tighten. "I believe in you."

Jade blinked back tears and smiled. "Thank you, Matt." She threw her arms around his neck and hugged him tightly.

Matt put his arms around her slowly and closed his eyes. "Please come back," he whispered.

"I'll try." She touched his cheek lightly before standing resolutely. "Panthramon?"

The black and silver digimon turned to face her, tears shining in the big green eyes. "Please don't go."

Jade smoothed the velvet-like fur on the digimon's head. "I'll never truly leave you."

"I-I don't know if I can do this."

"I know you can, Panthramon, because you care for me as much as I care for you. We have a special friendship that no one can break." Jade looked away. "I know what Imikosmon is willing to do and I can't let that happen. I don't want to see my friends get hurt. I love you all too much." Jade turned to face her companion, tears falling from her own eyes. "I love you, Panthramon. I have faith in you!"

Jade's crest started to glow with a silvery white light. The same light that enveloped the black digimon.

"Panthramon digivolved to…NightPanthramon!"

Jade watched in awe as NightPanthramon stepped forward. Her silver embroidered black robes flowed around her as she stood tall and solemnly. Her slanted green eyes peered at Jade from a cat-like face, half-hidden by the dark hood over her head. The pendant with the blue jewel was no more. In its place was a long gold staff with a large, shining blue jewel at the tip. Jade reached out to her digimon partner but stopped, collapsing on the ground instead. 

Matt rushed forward. "Jade!"

The dark-haired girl shook her head. "No. Stay back! It's her. I can't hold her back any longer." Jade clutched her head and screamed.

NightPanthramon held Matt back as the black fog returned. Jade's screams faded and instead, chilling laughter filled the air.

"She was stronger than I anticipated, but she can't save you now and you can't save her. So why don't you just give up?"

Matt clenched his fists. "Talk all you want but we're not giving up without a fight!"

Imikosmon laughed again. "Have it your way. But be warned - I **never** lose."

"There's a first for everything," Matt muttered under his breath.

"Matt, just stay here and don't get involved. This is my fight." NightPanthramon jumped up above the fog and floated there, her dark robes fluttering in the breeze.

"I see you've digivolved. Impressive." Imikosmon appeared in front of the opposing digimon smiling. "We would make an unbeatable team."

"Dream all you want, but I'll never join you. I'd die first." NightPanthramon twirled her golden staff gracefully. "Silver Strike!" The spear-shaped silver energy shot straight at the mark, hitting the evil digimon who didn't have the chance to dodge. Imikosmon began to fall to the ground while grinning up at the hooded digimon. "Hypnotic Shock!"

The cat-like digimon dodged the attack agilely and turned to meet her opponent, but she had disappeared beneath the cover of the fog. NightPanthramon scanned the ground for some sign of her but to no avail. Then the sounds of a scuffle reached her ears and she watched as two figures rose out of the blackness. A growl of anger escaped her throat, the tilted green eyes flashing. "Leave him out of this!"

Imikosmon held Matt in front of herself easily. "But he wanted to play too."

"This fight is between you and I." Before Imikosmon could reply NightPanthramon rushed at her, slicing the air with her staff. The golden rod came smashing down, but stopped suddenly an inch away from Matt's head.

Imikosmon laughed and twirled out of reach. "Hypnotic shock!"

The robed digimon was at too close a range to dodge the attack. NightPanthramon doubled over in pain as wave after wave of the purple energy enveloped her. "You coward!" she seethed. "Hiding behind a human boy."

Imikosmon chuckled. "But he likes being with me." Matt's eyes went wide as she slid her arms around his waist and leaned her cheek on his shoulder.

The blonde boy's chin fell to his chest and he shut his eyes tightly. _This isn't Jade. It's not her!_ Matt looked over into the solemn cat-like face in front of him and nodded resolutely. Imikosmon was off guard, unsuspecting; if he was going to help, now was the time. _Please forgive me Jade._ Matt jabbed his elbow back hard, catching Imikosmon square in the stomach and knocking the wind out of her. The digimon gasped and clutched her middle, freeing Matt. The boy dropped to the ground and groaned in pain. Slowly, he bent his head back to watch the final scene of the battle unfold.

"Silver Strike!" Imikosmon fell to the ground with a thud as the fog began to thin out. NightPanthramon landed next to her gracefully and pointed her staff at the fallen digimon's chest. "Any last words?"

Imikosmon tossed her head and laughed loudly, a wild grin spreading across her face. "You're not going to kill me! Or have you forgotten who I am?"

"I haven't forgotten." NightPanthramon shook her head sadly. "But I will do whatever it takes to free Jade from the likes of you. Even if it means hurting her. I know that she doesn't want to see you carry out your schemes." The cat-like digimon raised the staff above her head, twirling it in a wide arc. "I'm doing this for Jade!" Imikosmon stared up at the dark-robed figure, petrified. "Mystik Inferno!" The blue jewel flashed brilliantly as a wave of azure-coloured fire engulfed the evil digimon. Imikosmon's screams rang out eerily in the chilly night air. 

Matt watched everything happen in a kind of shock; unable to speak or move. Now he was free of this spell and full of fear instead. He stumbled over to where Jade's prone figure lay and knelt beside it, not daring to breath. Jade...

Matt was so engrossed with Jade that he hadn't noticed that the rest of the digidestined and digimon had woken up and were standing a bit apart. They watched in silence, not knowing what to say. Finally Sora crouched beside Matt, laying a comforting hand on his arm.

"I'm sorry, Matt," she whispered. "That we weren't there to help you."

The blonde boy shook his head. "It's not your fault." 

Sora frowned. His voice was just as emotionless as the expression he wore on his face. Sora wanted to say something but stopped when she noticed Catramon walking away. "Catramon, where are you going?" The golden digimon stopped, but didn't answer.

Joe stepped forward. "Have you checked her pulse or breathing yet?"

Sora shook her head silently, watching the tall boy kneel over Jade and put two fingers on her pale throat. Everyone held their breath as Joe withdrew his hand and sat back on his heels. Sora's heart pounded in her chest as the silence lengthened. "Well?" she asked anxiously. 

Joe looked at her strained face and sighed. "She's alive, but only barely. Her breathing is shallow and her pulse is weak. She needs medical attention, something we can't give her."

Sora swallowed thickly as she absorbed this bit of news. She clutched her friend's limp hand in her own and closed her eyes. "Then we'll do whatever we can and hope that she'll be okay."

Joe nodded grimly and began inspecting the long-haired girl's wounds. The rest of the digidestined began bustling about, gathering the things that Joe requested.

Sora watched silently as the bespeckled boy tended to her friend. She had offered to help, but Joe had only shook his head solemnly. Sora sighed and walked away, leaving Joe to his work. Sora hadn't wandered far when a solid arm slipped around her waist. She smiled despite herself and leaned gratefully against the strong body. Warm lips brushed her forehead.

"You okay?"

"Yeah, I'm alright. A bit scared though," she admitted quietly. 

Tai embraced her tightly not knowing exactly how to comfort the saddened girl in his arms. "Now isn't the time to lose hope. Now is the time to be strong, not only for yourself, but for the sake of everyone. If one person loses hope then the rest will soon follow."

Sora looked up at the boy in surprise. "Thank you, Tai. You never cease to amaze me."

Tai just blushed and held her against him, placing a gentle kiss on her auburn hair. "Anything for you, Sora," he whispered.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

After a long day and a longer night, Sora was ready to fall asleep in Tai's arms. However, she couldn't. Not just yet. There was something still left to do. Everyone lay sleeping, being exhausted from the events earlier that evening. But there was one person missing.

It had been decided that Jade must be watched at all times in case something were to happen. Matt had volunteered to take the first watch. He sat cross-legged beside the unconscious girl and watched her pale face intently. 

Sora approached him slowly and sat down across from him. The spiky blonde head didn't look up. "How is she?"

"Still the same. Not even a twitch."

Sora nodded. She hadn't actually expected anything so soon. Sora held the cold hand tightly in her own and silently wished that she could see Jade's emerald eyes sparkle once again. Tears that she had held in spilled over now and splashed onto Jade's motionless form.

Matt finally looked up at the teary girl a bit startled. "Sora?"

The auburn-haired girl laughed in embarrassment and wiped her eyes. "I'm sorry, I guess I'm just tired." Sora smiled at him. "But I just wanted to talk to you before I go sleep."

"About what?"

"About this." Sora swept her arm over Jade's body. "About all that's happened. About you and your feelings." When Matt didn't reply, Sora continued. "It's easy to see that you have strong feelings for Jade, maybe stronger than any of us realize." Sora paused hesitating. "But I think you should know that Jade feels much the same, though she's never actually admitted it." Sora gazed at Jade's face sadly. "As long as you care about her there's hope."

Matt stared silently at the ground for a few moments. "You're right," he admitted quietly. "I care about her more than even I realized. Maybe that is why I feel so guilty."

Sora frowned and began to reply, when another voice did it for her.

"What happened was beyond anyone's control, but if there should be blame then it should be me that takes it." The small figure emerged from the shadows and faced them grimly. "Whatever guilt there is will be laid on my shoulders."

"Catramon…" Sora watched the digimon with dismay. "Please don't feel like that. You said so yourself, it was beyond anyone's control."

The cat-like digimon shook her head. "If I hadn't left her side then none of this would have ever happened."

"All of us can take some fraction of the blame. It isn't fair to hold one person responsible for what's happened," Matt argued.

"Stop it! Both of you!" Sora's tone rendered both Catramon and Matt silent. Never before had they heard such force in the good-natured girl's voice. Now her face was flushed and she clenched her fists at her sides. "You are both ridiculous! There is no blame! Do you honestly think that Jade would point fingers or say that anyone was at fault?" Sora demanded. Both stared at their feet in embarrassment. "Well?"

A faint chorus of "no's" could be heard, and Sora's expression relaxed. "Jade would never hold anyone responsible for her suffering. It would only hurt her that much more to see both of you arguing like this. Please, can we just agree that whatever happened, happened? It wasn't in our power to prevent what happened to her, but we can rely on each other for comfort and hope that Jade will get through this." Sora was silent for a long while, just staring at her friend's pale face.

Matt and Catramon watched Sora intently. Both felt surprisingly better. Lighter even, as if a weight had been lifted from their shoulders.

"Thank you, Sora," Catramon conceded. "Your words were well spoken."

"You're right," agreed Matt, "and I feel much better. Thanks."

Sora smiled. "I'm just happy you both understand now." She put a hand to her mouth and tried to conceal a yawn.

Matt gave the girl a reproving glance. "Sora, you need some rest."

"I know, I'm going." She got up and stretched. Saying goodnight to her companions, the slender girl walked over to where Tai slept and lay beside him. She watched his innocent sleeping face for a few moments before kissing him on the tip of his nose.

Tai opened his eyes slowly and blinked drowsily. He smiled at Sora sleepily and wrapped his arms around her. "How'd it go?"

"Very well." Sora smiled and closed her eyes, snuggling up to Tai and falling asleep almost instantly.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Matt watched wearily as the days slowly crept by. A week had passed and still Jade wouldn't wake up. Joe had been checking her bandages daily, and had said that her cuts had mostly healed and the bruises were much better. But Matt was not comforted. He felt that something must be wrong for her not to have woken up yet.

It's as if she is trapped still or even too spiritually drained to wake up, Matt thought as he studied her blank face. He sat once again at her side in the dead of night. The blonde boy had stubbornly insisted on having the first watch every night, despite Sora telling him he needed sleep. But he couldn't sleep, and when he did he was plagued by nightmares. Even when he sat beside Jade he had a strange empty feeling.

Matt leaned back on his arms and looked up at the night sky. It had become a habit of his to watch the stars. He found it strangely comforting and thought provoking. Like most of the past nights, Matt's thoughts were drawn towards the dark-haired girl beside him.

I wish she would wake up, Matt thought wistfully.

He studied her lifeless body once more. Her skin had turned a pasty white and felt unusually cool to the touch. Her lay on her back with her arms limply at her sides; that was how she had remained for a week. Sometimes Matt wondered if there was still life in those now pale green eyes. It chilled him to stare at her too long.

Like a corpse really, Matt thought shivering slightly. It pained him to spend so much time with her in this terrible state. Though, he couldn't help it. If he wasn't with her, then he felt haunted by her. He saw the ghastly image of her face every time he closed his eyes. There was no stopping it. He thought she was trying to communicate with him. As if she need his help, but how could he help her? He would sit by her side night after night, and ask her imploringly how he might help. But the answer was always the same: eerie and disturbing silence. 

Matt thought about giving up. He'd never felt so absolutely helpless in all his life. One of the people he held closest to his heart was suffering and there was absolutely nothing he could do. The blonde boy hung his head and covered his face with his hands. Tell me what to do, please.

He swallowed the lump that threatened to form in his throat. _Jade…_ He ran his fingers through his mussed hair and sighed. The sad blue eyes wandered over her still form and stopped at her face. He felt inexplicably drawn to her suddenly. For some reason needed physical contact. He moved closer to her and held her hand gently. Matt frowned as he noticed her quickened breathing and clammy skin.

What's happening? The frightened eyes scanned her slender body quickly. _There's a tension in all her limbs as if something is going to happen._ He wiped the beads of sweat from her forehead and his frown deepened. _This is not good. Her face is strained like she's concentrating very hard on something._ Suddenly Matt found himself staring into pale green eyes. _When did she wake up?_ He froze, speechless. He had so many things he wanted to say but something about her eyes made the words stop in his throat. The blonde boy felt sleepy all of a sudden. His eyelids drooped and his body started to wobble as he struggled to fight off the tiredness. _Why?_ he thought, as his sight began to dim. Her face filled his vision once more before the darkness overtook him.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Matt awoke with a start. _What happened?_ He surveyed his surroundings in disbelief. _Where am I?_ The sky was a vivid azure blue with great, big, white clouds that wafted lazily through the air. The grass was green and lush, littered with brightly coloured wild flowers. The field went on as far as he could see, eventually meeting the horizon in the distance.

"Hello," the voice was soft and familiar. 

Matt squeezed his eyes shut, his heart pounding in his ears. Another vision of her deathly pale face loomed in his memory. He turned around and after taking a deep breath, slowly opened his eyes. His jaw dropped in shock.

Jade stood before him radiant and smiling, as if no woe had ever befallen her. Her long black hair shone and swirled around her in the breeze. She wore a simple light blue sundress that hung down to her bare feet. The emerald green eyes sparkled as she stared back at him, waiting for him to say something. 

"Jade..." he whispered, his expression was one of wonder. 

She smiled at him again and sat down, motioning for him to take a seat beside her. 

Matt stumbled over and sat down beside her in a stupor. He wanted to ask her so many things, but he couldn't find the right words. 

"It's beautiful, isn't it?" Jade asked, gesturing languidly to the landscape. 

Matt didn't fail to catch the wistful tone to her voice. "Where are we?" 

"I'm not really sure," Jade mused. 

Matt stared at her blankly. "You don't know?" 

"Well, none of this is real." She turned to grin at him. "I created it myself. Do you like it?" 

"Sure, it's great," Matt replied uncertainly. He weaved his fingers through the long grass. "It seems so real," he murmured. "So, you made this place in your head, right? Then, how did I get here?" 

The slender girl leaned back on her elbows and stared up at the clouds. "I don't know that either. I only know that I wanted so much to see you one last time, but physically I was too weak and couldn't even have stayed awake long enough to have a proper conversation." 

Matt turned to her sharply, not missing anything. "What do you mean 'one last time'?" 

The pain was evident on her face. She looked away from his searching eyes guiltily. "Does it really matter? We're together now." She turned back to him and reached for his hand, silently pleading for understanding. 

Matt looked into her glassy eyes doubtfully. Something's not right. The worst still hadn't occurred to him. He shook his head. "I don't get any of this. I don't even know why I'm here." 

"I wanted you to be here," she said softly. "I missed you." 

Matt glanced at her in surprise. "You missed me?" 

Jade bit her lip as her cheeks flushed with colour. "I'd always wanted to tell you, ever since I met you, how much -" She took a shaky breath before continuing. "How much I cared about you." Jade's chin drooped as her face turned scarlet. 

Matt stared at her dumbstruck. She'd just said exactly what he'd always wanted to say but had been too afraid. "Jade-" 

Warm fingers pressed against his lips, effectively cutting off his words. "Don't say it." Her eyes shone with unshed tears. She leaned close to him and kissed his cheek lightly. She gave him a quavering smile and turned, as if to get up and leave. 

Matt caught the long-haired girl by the wrist. "What are you doing?" 

"I'm going," she replied without looking at him. 

"You can't just leave! After all this, after what you've just said..." He forced her to sit back down and look at him. "Please, at least listen to what I have to say," he said gently. 

Jade nodded and watched his troubled face silently. 

Matt ran a hand absently through his hair. "Now, I don't know what's going on, but I do know that I have something to tell you. too." He caressed her cheek with his fingertips and smiled at the sweet-faced girl. "I've liked you too, ever since I laid eyes on you. I was just too afraid to say anything." He waited for her to speak, but she would only look at him sorrowfully. "What is it?" he asked finally. 

Matt watched as her eyes filled with tears once more. With a tiny shake of her head, she stood up and ran away from him. 

Matt jumped to his feet in surprise. He called for her to stop, but to no avail. I won't let you get away that easily. He caught up to the figure with the black cascading hair and swung an arm around her waist. He felt her body wobble and pulled her closer to himself. He turned her around slowly, still holding her waist. The tears were streaming down her cheeks as her lips trembled. 

"Jade, please, tell me what's going on." Matt wiped her tears and kissed the top of her head comfortingly. 

The bleary-eyed girl sniffled and tried to compose herself. She looked up hesitantly at the concerned face before her. "Matt..." She swallowed thickly and dropped her gaze to the ground, unable to meet his searching eyes. "I'm sorry, Matt," she mumbled. "I never meant for any of this to happen. I should've just left you alone, but I missed you so much..." Jade bit her lip. "I've been completely selfish," she whispered. 

"Look, you're not selfish and honestly, I don't see what you're beating yourself up-" 

"Oh, don't you see?" Jade cut him off and stared up at him with pleading eyes. "Isn't it obvious?" When the blonde boy didn't say anything, she sighed in resignation. She twisted out of his arms and turned her back to him, hugging herself tightly. After a few moments silence, she hung her head. "I'm dying, Matt," she said quietly. 

The blue eyes widened considerably as Matt watched the slim girl in shock. His lips moved soundlessly as his mind tried to deal with the full wieght of her revealation. A part of him was not surprised at the news; it had known all along. But Matt had refused to accept all the visible signs of her weakness. He had hoped against everything, that his growing suspicions were nothing more than that. But now she had said it and made it true. Or was it? Matt clung to his last hope. Denial. 

He grabbed the girl's arm angrily. "That's not funny." 

"I wasn't expecting you to laugh." Jade shot him a dark look. "Do you really think I'd lie to you? That I'd lie about something to hurt one of the people I care most about. I didn't realize that you thought I was so cold." 

Matt's grip on her arm loosened and he faltered staring into her narrowed green eyes. "I'm so sorry," he said somberly, "I didn't mean it. I'm just...shocked, caught off guard...hurt." He felt a lump rising in his throat and wetness around his eyes. 

Jade's expression immediately turned to one of sorrow. "It hurts me too," she whispered. "I never meant to hurt you." Her eyes glazed over. "I only wanted to see you again..." The girl shivered slightly and wobbled on her feet. 

Matt sprang towards her, wrapping his arms around her waist. He felt Jade lean on him heavily, struggling to stay on her feet. He held her tightly, an alarm sounding in his mind. "Are you okay?" The question rang hollow in his ears. 

Jade smiled despite herself. "I'm glad you're with me," she murmured, her eyes already closing. She felt her muscles go limp as the last bit of energy she had left began to leave her. 

Matt staggered under the dead wieght and layed her down gently on the grass. "Jade, please don't leave me," he begged, clutching her body against his. 

The girl sighed softly before opening her eyes again. "I'm sorry, Matt. Forgive me..." She raised one hand to his cheek and smiled sadly. 

"No!" Matt shook his head fiercly. "You can't leave! There has to be a way," he pleaded. 

Jade's brow furrowed as she watched the tears fall from his blue eyes. "There is only one way...but I think it is already too late...and she would have to agree..." Jade's eyes closed again and her hand slipped away from Matt's face. She whispered one last thing that Matt had to lean in close to hear before everything went black once again. 

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End file.
